


Cube

by RandomSlasher (Randomslasher)



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 12:50:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12388437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomslasher/pseuds/RandomSlasher
Summary: Logan is the master of the Rubix cube.





	Cube

 

 They’re all piled in the commons, a movie on TV, and at first Virgil doesn’t think anything of it--Logan is usually doing something with his hands, either writing notes, or flipping through his vocab cards, or working one of those infuriating puzzles where two pieces of metal are twisted together and you’re supposed to be able to pull them apart (Logan never fails at those, either--he studies them for a few minutes, then does _something_  with his hands and fingers and bam. Two nails. It drives Virgil crazy). 

So all things considered, a Rubix cube is almost...mundane. Cliche. 

But it’s not that Logan’s solving the cube. It’s that--and Virgil realizes this with a growing sense of disbelief--Logan is doing so _without looking._  

The cube is spinning between his fingers, so fast it’s almost a blur, as Logan gazes absently at the TV. His fingers move over the cube itself, tweaking, tiny little adjustments that don’t seem to be accomplishing anything. But as Virgil watches, he realizes the colors are beginning to align, as first one side, then another, then another become solid. 

In a few moments the cube is complete. Logan doesn’t even glance at it; instead, without even pausing, he begins to twirl it again, mixing up the colors and starting the whole process over. He _does_ glance down at the cube once it’s mixed up, studying each side for the briefest of seconds before returning his attention to the TV and setting to work once more. 

On the third time, Virgil manages to capture the others’ attention, subtly nodding at Logan’s hands where they idly continue their work. He sees Patton’s eyes grow wide, and Roman’s brows creep upward. Logan is the only one still watching the TV; the rest of them are too enchanted by the impossible feat they are witnessing. Virgil had before half-convinced himself that Logan was simply mixing them up the same way each time, but it quickly becomes obvious that this is not the case--that this is, in fact, the reason Logan glances at the cube after each mix up. He is--he is _solving the puzzle in his mind,_  then idly rotating the cube into place, practically as an afterthought. 

Virgil can’t stand it anymore. “How are you _doing_  that?” he demands. 

Logan starts a little, losing his grip on the cube; it drops to the carpet and rolls under the coffee table. Logan grunts at it in annoyance and bends to scoop it up again. “Doing what?” he says. 

“ _That,”_ Roman breathes, staring at the cube. 

“Huh?” Logan frowns at the cube again. “Oh. The Rubix cube?” 

“You’re...you’re not even _looking_  at it!” Patton squeals, eyes bright and delighted, face stretched into a broad grin. 

Logan looks at each of them, apparently realizing that he has been the object of their attention for the last several minutes, rather than the reruns of Arrested Development playing on the TV. He slowly colors, cheeks going red as he squirms under the attention. 

“I...well...no?” 

Virgil slides closer to him on the couch and nudges him with his shoulder. “How do you do it?” he asks, secretly pleased to see Logan looking so flustered. 

Logan blinks at him. “You...you want to know how I...?” 

“Yes!” Patton says, and Roman nods eagerly, and Virgil thinks his heart might break at the way Logan smiles, slow and shy. 

 _Our genius deserves more praise than we give him_ , he thinks suddenly, surprising himself a little with the thought. But he quickly realizes it’s true. Logan may act confident to the point of arrogance, but Virgil knows that’s just what it is: an act.

He is Anxiety, after all. He recognizes insecurities when he sees them.  

As if to prove his point, Logan stammers, “Well, I...there are a finite number of permutations a Rubix cube can have,” he says, holding it up. “It’s...it’s a simple matter of learning to recognize the different patterns and the ways to solve them. It’s...it’s really no big deal. It’s basically a parlor trick.” 

Virgil frowns, but Patton beats him to the punch. “Stop that,” he scolds. “Stop talking down about your talents like that. This is _amazing_.” 

“It’s rote memorization,” Logan protests again, shrugging. “Simple pattern recognition. Nothing more.” 

Virgil nudges his shoulder against Logan’s again. “Logan,” he says, “how many possible configurations of a Rubix cube are there?” 

Logan hesitates. Roman arches his eyebrows expectantly. “Well?” 

“For a three by three cube like this one...” he says, “something like...forty quintillion. But...” 

“Forty quintillion,” Virgil says. 

“Well...yes.” 

“As in...as in million, billion, trillion, quadrillion--”

“Quintillion, yes. But the same basic algorithm applies to all possible permutations, and--”

“Logan?” Virgil cuts him off; Logan looks up at him. Virgil takes his shoulders in his hands and stares him down. “You. Are. _Amazing_.” 

“ _Definitely_ amazing,” Patton agrees, looking awed. 

“ _Beyond_ amazing,” Roman concludes. 

Logan lowers his eyes. He’s blushing, and he shrugs one shoulder. It’s probably as close as they’re going to get to an acknowledgment, so Virgil lets it go, releasing Logan’s shoulders and settling back onto the couch, leaning in against the logical side as they return their attention to the antics of the Bluth family. 

But Virgil doesn’t miss the way Logan’s pleased blush is slow to fade, or the way his lips have quirked up into a tiny little smile.


End file.
